Celtic’s Late Goal Sparks UCL Comeback Hopes

Though there is little chance of making it to the Champions League’s last 16, Celtic will be traveling to Germany and will undoubtedly present a difficult obstacle.

Although Daizen Maeda’s goal at Celtic Park to lower the deficit to 2-1 has kept their play-off against Bayern Munich alive, they have not won away from home in Europe since 2021. Early on, Celtic’s sole group-stage loss came away to Borussia Dortmund; the Hoops were battered 7-1.

Against Bayern, they proved their development level. Under duress, they did not fall apart; had Adam Idah not been caught offside when Nicolas Kuhn fired home inside the opening minute, the game might have turned out quite differently.

Maeda’s ban was lowered, and he was always going to start against Bayern, but Brendan Rodgers had to decide whether to start with Jota and play Maeda through the middle or go with Idah up front. Idah scored a double for Aston Villa in their last Champions League game; Jota’s lack of minutes resulted in him being named on the bench. The game changed, though, when the Portuguese winger entered and Maeda went central.

The Japan international headed in what may be a critical goal and you wonder whether Rodgers would regret not starting that way.